IPS officer’s doctor brother missing, may have joined militants

Srinagar: Setting alarm bells ringing among the political and security establishment in the Valley, brother of an IPS officer from south Kashmir’s Shopian district has gone missing and has reportedly joined militant ranks.

Official sources told GNS that the youth Shamsul Haq Mengnoo son of Mohammad Rafiq Mengnoo, a resident of Draggud village at present Srinagar, is missing since May 26.

However, official sources said that they have apprehensions that the youth may have joined militancy as his whereabouts are not known hitherto.

Shamsul Haq, pursuing Bachelors of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) from a government college here in Zakura campus. The missing youth is the brother of an IPS officer and he belongs to outside JK cadre.

A police officer when contacted told GNS that police has learnt that he (Shams-ul-Haq) was missing but the family has not reported it with the concerned police station.

Asked whether police are investigating the case, the officer said the preliminary investigations are going on with regard to the case.

He also said that police are looking into the matter and were waiting for the family to come with a written report so that the investigations into it can speed up.

“We are looking into all angles and if it happens that the youth has joined militant ranks, we will still utilize all resources to get him back into mainstream,” the officer said.

Pertinently, Abid Maqbool Bhat son of head constable Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, a resident of Khangund Tral has joined militancy by announcing it while releasing the picture wielding an AK-47 rifle on March 24 this year. Mohammad Abid was later killed in a gunfight at Tral on March 25.

Since March this year, joining of youths in militancy has shown a surge in Valley particular in south Kashmir.